


when things get tough (don't slow down)

by Crystalinastar



Series: The Road to Crisis [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Discussions About Secret Identities, Friendship, Future Character Death, Gen, Gratuitous Use of Talking About Feelings, Kara is Not having a good time okay, Pre-Crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21710857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalinastar/pseuds/Crystalinastar
Summary: Crisis is imminent, but Mar Novu forgot to tell one important superhero.-Set after Supergirl 5x06
Relationships: Barry Allen & Kara Danvers, Barry Allen & Kara Danvers & Oliver Queen, Kara Danvers & Kate Kane
Series: The Road to Crisis [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564798
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	when things get tough (don't slow down)

**Author's Note:**

> keep in mind that while I love Supergirl, I have not been caught up since... season 2. wow. it's been that long? what I know comes from Tumblr and googling the synopses of the episodes this season. so not everything will be as accurate as I'd hope

“Ugh,” Kara groans, walking through the breach. “I need a break. Don’t superheroes ever get vacations?”

An empty STAR Labs greets her. “Hello?” she calls. “Barry? Cisco? Iris?”

She zeroes in on the sound of footsteps. From the hallway emerges a woman Kara kinda recognizes, because snow white hair isn’t very forgettable. “Uh… Caitlin, right?”

“Frost,” the woman snippily corrects. “And you’re…” Her lips purse. “The Supergirl.”

“Just Supergirl,” Kara says. She fidgets with her cape. Something about Frost keeps her on edge, though logically she knows that Barry trusts her enough to fight alongside her, and she trusts Barry’s judgment. “Is anyone here?”

“Me,” Frost informs with a wary gaze. “I think Barry’s with Iris. You know, spend all the time you can with your loved ones before you go.” Something bitter tinges Frost’s words.

“Before he goes?” Kara quietly repeats. “Doesn’t he have speed healing?”

Frost’s eyes soften. “He didn’t tell you?”

She shakes her head. 

“Barry’s going to die saving the multiverse.”

_No_.

Kara laughs sharply. “No, you guys—you’re trying to fix that, right? That can’t be true. He’s the _Flash_. Maybe you’re getting now and last year mixed up. We were supposed to die then, too. You can stop it.”

The thought of Barry Allen crumbling away into ash, or collapsing with a gash over his heart, or his eyes fluttering closed one last time—it isn’t real. It’s not plausible. 

She can’t lose another best friend.

Frost looks into Kara’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” Like it’s final. Like there’s nothing to be done, despite having cheated death before. Barry told her about Iris and Savitar, and they had fought her fate kicking and screaming. What’s different about this?

_Barry’s going to die saving the multiverse,_ her mind echoes. That’s billions upon billions that supposedly rely on Barry’s sacrifice. This is so much bigger than a demented speedster believing he’s a god.

She can fly, she knows this (can’t exactly forget it), but she collapses onto her knees. “ _No_ ,” she whispers.

* * *

Barry isn’t with Iris. He’s loitering around STAR Labs, doing… something in a lab. Kara always assumed forensic science was Barry’s area of expertise, but from the concentrated way he fiddles with the whatever, he might have two.

“What are you working on?” she asks. 

He startles and whips around on the swivel chair. “Kara, hey!” he greets. “This—” he gestures at the wires and metal that Kara can’t even begin to comprehend, “—is Gideon. The beginning of Gideon. Uh…” He rubs the back of his neck. “The AI I’m supposed to make in the future.”

Kara furrows her eyebrows. “How do you know you’re supposed to make it in the future?”

“We have one in the Time Vault.” 

She blinks. “Is it the… the glowing head thingy, or…” She’s pretty sure Barry had shown her once before, or maybe she saw it in last year’s teamup. 

Barry nods. “And I have to make Gideon now because…”

“You’re going to die,” Kara finishes. She hovers next to him. Floating always alleviates some of her worries; now isn’t any different. “Frost told me.”

He makes a face. “She’s not handling it well. None of them are.”

“Because you’re _dying_ , Barry.” Kara crosses her arms. “You’re—you’re going to sacrifice yourself to save the universe, or _whatever_ , and you don’t think they’ll be upset?”

“I know they’re upset, but…” Barry inhales, exhales, and inhales again. “I’m the one that’s going to die. They get to live. And it’s so close, we have to get so many things done. I—” He growls in frustration.

“Barry,” Kara says softly. “Barry, you’re going to die, and all you can think of is work?” He opens his mouth to respond, but she cuts him off. “Spending time with your loved ones, whatever. What you need is some time not worrying about it.”

Her heart is heavy, but her mind is set. Creating an AI seems more like Cisco’s thing, anyways. Barry needs this.

She came to this Earth to escape the crushing burden of hers, but someone else needs that escape more.

“You could show me around your Earth,” she suggests. Her hands clasp together to avoid fidgeting. “The other times I’ve been here, I was more worried about saving lives than sightseeing.”

Barry’s mouth twitches upwards. “I know someone we could invite.”

* * *

“What the hell, Barry!” Oliver exclaims. 

Kara stifles a giggle as Barry’s lightning calms. “You brought doom and gloom?”

Barry makes eye contact with Oliver and they nod together, carrying a conversation with their expressions. She’s a little miffed, but these two have been together through thick and thin, so they deserve their private conversations. The way their gaze is drawn back to her, however, sparks her reporter’s curiosity.

She knows them. If she mentions it, they’ll never tell her. She’ll just figure it out on her own.

“Thought he could use a break,” Barry replies, shrugging, though his words seem to have some kind of… hidden meaning.

She narrows her eyes, but shrugs, and says, “Yeah, okay. More tour guides just means I won’t get lost.”

“I wouldn’t get you lost,” Barry protests. “I know my way around my own Earth.”

“You know your way around _Central_. I kinda wanna visit Kate. Y’know, in Gotham?”

“Kate Kane?” Oliver asks, his eyebrows raised. 

Oh, right, they didn’t have x-ray vision. “We talked,” Kara says lamely. “She knows I’m, um. From another Earth, so.”

Oliver looks even more suspicious. Not good. “You told a woman you just met?”

“Not all of us are Oliver Queen,” Barry says, grinning. The bastard probably already figured it out. Jokes on her for letting that slip around an accomplished CSI. “We trust people.”

“Well, not all of us can be Barry Allen,” Oliver says snippily. “How many people know who you are? Everyone?”

“Not _everyone_ ,” Barry says. “Just…” He starts counting on his fingers, horror dawning over his face. “Oh my god.”

Kara laughs, coming in between them. “Come on, boys, let’s not fight. You’re _both_ terrible at this. Oliver, you don’t even have a secret identity anymore. Barry, well, Oliver has a point. I am the hero with the best kept secret identity.”

The pair try to deny it immediately, but fall short. She grins. She loves these idiots.

* * *

They first hit a karaoke bar in Central.

“Sing!” Kara and Barry chant, pushing Oliver towards the stage.

He tries standing his ground, but no amount of physical training will overcome Kryptonian strength, and he takes the mic.

His voice is surprisingly pleasant sounding. They all sing together next.

* * *

Star City is their next stop, though brief. Oliver insists that Kara wants nothing to do with this city, but Kara wants to fly through it anyways. She lands, taking in the city.

She doesn’t miss the longing look Oliver gives it.

* * *

Earth-1 is insane. Throughout the day, Barry and Oliver regale her with tales about their many years of superheroics. They almost visit someplace called Gorilla City with sentient gorillas, and if that doesn’t tell her everything she needs to know, nothing will.

(They also almost visit Lian Yu, but Oliver’s pinched expression dissuades them.)

They have one last place to go before Kara sees fit to return to her Earth.

Wayne Tower is in a better state than the last time she saw it. Must be Kate’s doing.

“Kara Danvers,” Kate greets with a curious look. “I see you brought your friends, too. It’s a pleasure, Oliver. And…?”

“Barry Allen,” Barry chimes with an insufferably smug face. Yeah, he definitely knows.

“Barry Allen. Not that I’m saying that I don’t appreciate the visit, but I’m a little held up.” Kate shakes her head. “Why do I even bother? None of you are going to stay out, right? Let’s go.”

Barry’s eyes widen, and he moves forward. “If you’re too busy being Batwoman, then we can come back another time.”

Kate’s piercing gaze lands on Kara. “You told them?”

“No,” Kara denies. “He figured it out on his own.”

“And didn’t tell me?” Oliver kind of pouts, in his own broody way. “Barry. Kara. C’mon.”

Kate smiles like a shark. “Well, I’m in the middle of something, but it’s Gotham. I’m always in the middle of something. Allow me to show you around.”

She does. Kara never thought she’d like any version of Gotham, but this one seems like it has a pretty good thing going for it. 

As they’re leaving, Barry leans in closer to her and whispers, “She has the best kept secret identity,” and Kara definitely can’t argue that.

* * *

“Why’d you come here?” Barry asks when they all stand in STAR Labs once again, Kara’s finger on the extrapolator. Apparently his keen eye isn’t only for figuring out Kate Kane’s other persona.

“I…” Kara pauses. Barry’s about to die, he doesn’t need to worry about her. “I needed to get away from my Earth for a little while.”

“You need our help?” This time, it’s Oliver who speaks, and her heart swells with gratitude. She knows if she said yes, they’d be right beside her. The thing with Lena, though, that’s not something they can help her with. She wishes.

She tucks her hair behind her ear. “No thanks, I’m good for now. But, uh, when Crisis starts, give me a call. Is it weird if I have one more question?”

Oliver furrows his eyebrows. “No…?”

“What are you guys trying to hide from me?”

The question looks like it’s giving them whiplash. “You noticed?” Oliver says.

Kara snorts. “I’m a reporter. Of course I noticed.”

“Well, um…” Barry kicks the air with his foot lightly, stalling for time. It’s interesting, how her fidgets are all handsy, but his usually have to do with his legs. Must be a super speed thing. “I think Oliver should tell you.”

She turns to the man in question, who clears his throat. “I was with Felicity a few months ago, when… when the Monitor showed up.” Her stomach plummets. “He told me that he’d seen my fate, that I would die. In Crisis.”

“You too?” Kara begins floating off the ground. “You, and Barry, and—how many people are dying in this Crisis? Are we sure we can’t save either of you?”

“Our fates are sealed,” Oliver says, with some resentment in his tone. “But you’re not. That’s good. The multiverse will need an experienced protector.”

Kara remembers when Barry first showed up, back when she was still finding her footing as a hero. How wise he’d seemed. How experienced. She swallows bile. “I’m not the one the multiverse needs. It needs the two of you. You guys know more about hero-ing than I do. You guys have to _live_.”

Barry avoids looking at her, instead staring down at his feet. “We need to die. The multiverse does if we don’t.” He speaks like someone who knows this intimately, and has spent some time grappling with the truth of it. 

She chuckles bitterly. “Whenever you guys next see the Monitor, tell him I hate him. You guys could’ve had such long lives ahead of you, and yet…” 

Last year, in the battle against John Deegan’s reality warping, it had been Teams Arrow, Flash, and Supergirl. After this year, Team Supergirl was the only one out of those three that would survive. Barry had talked a bit about preparing his team for after Crisis, but no one truly recovered from the loss of someone so close to them, so pivotal in the way events fold. Not really.

Kara barely escaped Krypton before it exploded. Every year, she came face to face with death. She cheated it every time. She would cheat it again.

Barry and Oliver wouldn’t be awarded the luxury. Not this time.

“I’m gonna miss you guys when you’re gone,” she says, choked up, only now realizing that she had been crying. She wipes them off her cheek. “I love you guys. Group hug?”

They embrace her. Oliver doesn’t even complain.

When she lets go, she presses the button on the interdimensional extrapolator. A swirling breach appears behind her.

“See you at Crisis,” she says, and it weighs down like a real goodbye.

Barry and Oliver echo the sentiment. 

She steps through the portal, letting out a sob as it closes.

A whole planet, friends, family, now this…

Kara has lost too many people. She takes a breath, letting her cries dwindle. She’ll take bullet, she’ll make the final sacrifice.

She can’t let Barry and Oliver die.

**Author's Note:**

> doesn't that make you feel all nice and dandy the moment before Crisis strikes?
> 
> (fan, jokingly: how could I meet the arrowverse heroes?
> 
> another fan: you could be the annual crisis and happen to them)
> 
> also, who has the best kept secret identity? discuss.
> 
> feel free to commission me on my [tumblr](%E2%80%9Ccrystalinastar.tumblr.com%E2%80%9D) for fluff to ease your aching hearts! it's for free!


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